


you cut through all the noise

by joneskillian



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 10:34:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11484579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joneskillian/pseuds/joneskillian
Summary: CS AU set in early 1940s.How DO you win over a girl who isn't interested in a handsome face and witty one-liners? Perhaps being her friend would have been a better start.





	you cut through all the noise

"Emma."

"What?" Killian looked up at his friend. His elbows hurting from where he'd been leaning on the fence. Only then he realised just how long he'd stood there like that. The girl that had captured his attention from the moment he'd laid eyes on her, she had been simply too beautiful to not look at, and refused to leave his thoughts.

The way she threw her head back laughing, the way she practically skipped around, her blonde curls bouncing around her with every move. The dress that swayed around her like she was some goddamn movie star caught in the wind. Her long legs did things to him, filling his mind with images of them fucking in a bathroom stall at the fair, his fingers digging into those delicious thighs of her. Kissing those lips until they were senseless.

"The girl you been starin' at for the past fifteen minutes, her name's Emma," Robin explained. "Way out of your league though."

"And how would you know her name?" Killian arched an eyebrow, attempting to discard of the images his mind had conjured.

"She's one of Mary Margaret's friends. Them wealthy ones."

"What? David's Mary Margaret?" Robin hummed in response, raising his eyebrows as if to say _how many Mary Margarets do you know_? "Well then perhaps I should go and ask David to–"

"Absolutely not a fucking chance," David's voice suddenly sounded behind them, finally returning with those damn beers he went to fetch. "Emma is too good for you and I won't let you ruin her."

"Oh come on, Dave," Killian grinned, taking a sip from the beer he'd been handed–still cold, thankfully. "I promise she'll enjoy herself."

"No," David said firmly, and for a moment Killian really expected David to hit him against the back of his head.

"Looks like I won't need you anyway," Killian said, nodding at David's girlfriend walking towards them, Emma and another brunette closely following.

"Hi," Mary Margaret chirped, giving David a quick kiss on the lips. "I believe you promised me a ride on the Ferris wheel."

"I believe I did," David said and laid his arm around his girlfriend and started walking away from them. He called out something about whether anyone wanted to join, but Killian had been far too distracted by the blonde in front of him to really hear his friend.

Though her friend was quite attractive, short skirt, revealing top, blood red lips, intriguing grin, she had nothing on Emma. Who, up close, looked even more gorgeous–even if she'd barely looked at him once.

The green of her eyes beautifully enhanced by the different lights of the fair, her golden hair falling in thick curls over her shoulders. The entrancing smile that she wore on her lips almost distracting enough to hide the fact that it did not quite reach her eyes. Not when her gaze landed on him and she smiled at him, anyway. The smile reserved for her friends was genuine.

"Hey beautiful," Killian said, making sure Emma knew he was talking to her by taking a step closer and held out his hand. If no one was going to introduce them, he ought to take manners into his own hands, no?

"Hi," She said, a little stiffly, and the arched eyebrow did not entirely help her distant mannerism.

"Killian." He nodded at his hand held out for her, but once again she'd completely ignored the gesture.

"Yeah," Emma said, almost exasperatedly. "I know."

Killian gave her his wide smile that often charmed ladies out of their panties, but Emma did not budge. She was not going to be as easy as his prior conquests, but he sure liked a challenge. "I believe the fact that you have been told about me puts me at a disadvantage."

"It sure does." She gave him another empty smile.

"Nevertheless, would you care to join me for a ride on the Ferris wheel?"

"No," She answered, grabbing the other brunette by the arm. "I'm good."

They giggled at god knows what–though it was probably him, let's be real–as they walked away from him in the direction of the Ferris wheel, both looking at him over their shoulder once–followed by another damn giggle–before they were too far out of sight.

"Ouch." Robin clapped his friend on the back and gave him a shit-eating grin. "Well, don't say I didn't warn ya."

Killian sighed and scratched behind his ear. "Yeah, whatever."

"Wealthy girls don't look at us like that," Robin chuckled as though he'd already accepted that it was his fate. "She's nice though, when you're not actively trying to pursue her."

"You met her before?"

"Yeah," Robin said, walking with him in the direction of the Ferris wheel, making sure to leave a generous distance between themselves and Emma and her friend. "I met her two years ago, and then again last year. She was actually our friend before you were, buddy. So if she's going to make us choose, I'm sorry, but you're out," Robin grinned. But Killian couldn't quite bring himself to laugh, if he managed to piss Emma off just a bit more than he'd already had–and the possibility was a real one–she might actually ask them to choose.

"She visits every summer?"

"Yup, she and her friend Ruby–that's the brunette, they come from New York or wherever," Robin answered and ceased their walk once they reached the Ferris wheel, but still out of hearing range from Emma and her friend Ruby.

"New York," Killian repeated with a quiet sigh. He'd never been. Of course not. He doubted he'd ever even make enough money to ever go. He'd been with a New York girl once, before she realised his handsome looks were all he had.

"Think you can keep your foot out of your mouth long enough for us to join them?" Robin grinned.

"Yeah," Killian said but not before rolling his eyes. "Whatever."

The girls looked up from their conversation as they joined them, Ruby being far more accepting of their presence than Emma. Well, _his presence. She appeared to be perfectly fine with Robin being there._

They spoke of all the things they wanted to do over the summer, speaking of places Killian hadn't even heard of before, and he'd lived here for two years now. But then again, he hadn't really left his house other than for work in those years. Not until Robin, whom he had met at the docks, dragged him along and introduced him to David and his girlfriend. They accepted him instantly in his group, even if he'd been four years older than them.

When Mary Margaret and David returned, clinging to each other like two in love teenagers–which, save for being actual teenagers, was basically what they were–he suddenly found himself a bit jealous. He'd never felt that before, but he did right now. They always say you want what you can't have, right? And having been rejected by the blonde goddess, he only wanted her more. But he'd win her over fair and square. No tricks, no deception. If she chose him, it would be because she wanted him.

"Win me a bear?" Mary Margaret asked, leaning into her lover, her green eyes wide and pleading. How could one say no to that?

"Of course," David smiled and kissed her forehead. "Anything for you."

Ruby and Emma stood with them still, Emma staring after her friend with something in her eyes that he could only describe as longing.

And of course his mouth spoke before his brain could catch up.

"If you want a bear, love, just say the word."

Her soft features grew harsh once again and she turned her back to him. She _actually_ turned her back to him.

Yeah… It was going to be a long while before she wanted him.

Killian could have hit himself in the face at that point. Would he never learn? He'd known her for all of two hours, and he knew he shouldn't have. But her beauty washed away all reasonable thought from his mind.

Two hours and she had turned him into a man with an immense talent for putting his foot in his mouth.

He groaned softly and decided to leave the girls be, following David to where he stood throwing soft balls at tin cans in an attempt to win his girl a bear half her size.

Killian laid some coins on the counter, throwing a ball at something seemed perfect to turn his mind elsewhere. He wasn't too bad at it. The first one missed, but he'd managed to throw all the cans down with the second two. He rolled the remaining two over the counter towards where David stood slightly angry over the one can he hadn't managed to take down.

When the man asked Killian which bear he wanted he shrugged and pointed at one wearing a red bow around its neck. Turning around, he gave it to the first girl he saw. Which happened to be a little girl who looked like it was definitely past her bedtime, but was utterly enjoying it. The girl, young enough still to wear pigtails, old enough to turn into a stammering mess when he offered the bear with a big grin, smiled and promised to take great care for it.

Mary Margaret seemed quite pleased with the bear she could scarcely carry in her arms, but was quick to run back to where her girlfriends stood to show it off.

"You okay?" David asked, casually strolling back to their friends.

"It would appear I am unable to not make a perfect fool out of myself around Emma," Killian confessed.

"Can't say I'm too unhappy about that," David said.

"Yeah, I know how you feel about me."

"You know I consider you a good friend. You just have a tendency to be a little careless when it comes to women. And Emma deserves someone who truly cares." David clapped his shoulder. "There are enough women around who can and will capture your attention, I'm certain, you'll find someone else and be over her before you know it."

He tried to avoid speaking around Emma after that. Not that it was very hard, Emma barely looked at him at all. Let alone speak to him.

It was oddly simple to fall to the back of their little group, scouring his brain for the possibilities. She wasn't going to be won over with his usual tactics, she wasn't interested in a handsome face and witty one-liners. That much was clear.

He downed his beer and set the cup down on the table, Emma arched an eyebrow at him.

"Got anything to drown, sailor?" She asked. He could scarcely believe she actually spoke to him, when over the past hours she had _actively_ ignored him. But with Mary Margaret and David taking one last ride on the Ferris wheel, and Ruby having left with a man who had tickled her fancy–among other things–and Robin having gone home due to having an early job the following morning, Emma stood with him by a table, mostly in silence.

"Sailor?"

She shrugged. "Mary Margaret said you work at the docks."

"Ah," Killian nodded once, understanding. "Well," He started, leaning his elbows on the table, it felt cold and sticky from the spilled beer, no doubt. "See, there's this lovely lass. I don't know shite about her, I'll be honest, but from the moment I saw her I've not been able to say a single nice thing. And now she probably thinks I'm an asshole–which, admittedly, I _can_ be–but I've not yet had the chance to prove to her that I _can_ be a gentleman as well. Certainly because she spent all evening ignoring me."

Emma rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to reply but shut it again when David and Mary Margaret joined them.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I could sleep for days." Mary Margaret yawned, tugging David's jacket a little closer around herself. David had already become the self-assigned bear carrier. Killian found himself swaying a bit as they walked to the car, Emma didn't really walk next to him, but she didn't necessarily keep her distance either. "Killian, please tell me you're not driving," Mary Margaret spoke once they reached David's car.

"Don't you worry, love, I walked." He gave her a wide grin.

"We can drive you home," Mary Margaret offered. "We're driving Emma home too."

"I doubt the lady wishes to spend another moment with me. Let alone share a backseat," Killian laughed, kissing Mary Margaret's cheek by way of saying goodbye. "A walk will do me good. I'll be careful, I promise." He patted David's shoulder softly. "See ya."

Emma stood by David's car her arms wrapped around herself, deliberately staring at the ground, he raised his hand to wave, but when he realised she wasn't going to look up, he scratched behind his ear instead.

* * *

Killian didn't see her much after that, each time they hung out, Mary Margaret made excuses for her. Family dinner, family visit, stuff like that. It didn't take long for his mind to catch up and realise she was avoiding having to spend time with him.

His suspicions were confirmed when he pulled his truck up at the movie theatre and he could practically hear her roll her eyes as she turned around to greet him.

"You didn't tell me he would be joining us, Mary Margaret." Emma smiled emptily, pinching her friend's arm.

"Because she knew you'd bail if she did," Ruby grinned that signature wolf-like grin of hers. "Now let's go, the movie is about to start. You're late, Killian."

"I know, apologies lass," Killian offered her a genuine smile. "Mistake at the docks had to be fixed before I could leave."

"As long as we don't miss the beginning of the film, you're forgiven."

Emma had made an obvious point of taking the farthest seat away from him, with Ruby, Mary Margaret, and David between them. Though somewhere around the middle of the movie he'd crawled over the empty seats and made his way towards her–but not without popcorn getting thrown at him from people who were angry at him for obscuring their view.

Once he'd sat down Emma had let out the deepest sigh, and next to her David gave him a glare. Killian happily ignored both.

When he offered to share his snack with her she initially refused him, but eventually accepted it when he insisted. A brief moment later she reached into his lap to grab another snack. He relished in the victory.

As the movie suddenly grew darker and the music became more suspicious, Emma reached for his hand, squeezing it each time a loud noise came.

She didn't release his hand until the credits rolled and the lights went back on, even if the scary bits had long passed by then.

As they made their way out of the theatre he found himself walking next to her, her shoulder brushing against him, his hand aching to hold hers again. But she did not give him a single glance.

David offered to drive everyone home, as he always did. Killian more often than not refused the offer, but with Emma still standing close enough to touch, he reasoned she would not mind sharing the backseat this time.

Emma, being the smallest of the three, had taken the middle seat, with Ruby on one side and Killian on the other.

Killian quickly realised he'd made a mistake getting in David's car when he drove Ruby home first when Killian's house was definitely the closest of the three. Bloody hell. He sighed and leaned his head against the window, mentally preparing for the inevitable lecture.

It did not take long before he felt Emma's head resting against his shoulder. Looking down at her revealed her fighting against eyes falling shut. Her hands that were previously neatly folded in her lap fell against his legs and he swore he could not possibly find her anymore adorable at this point. She could start drooling on his shirt and he knew he would let her.

He shifted a bit in his seat, hoping to make her a bit more comfortable–a contented, sleepy smile showed that she was.

It took all he had not to reach out and touch her, tuck her hair behind her ear, hold her hand, kiss her forehead. But it would be taking advantage, and that was not the kind of man he was. She may be sleeping against him, but had she been awake she would've never leaned against him like that.

She didn't move once Ruby had been dropped off at her house, much to David's dismay.

Emma complained quietly when he woke her up as David drove onto her driveway. He hadn't been here before, but seeing as it wasn't Mary Margaret's house, the only logical explanation seemed it was Emma's parents' summer house.

He loved and hated it all the same. It was a beautiful house, but one look at it showed the incredible wealth they possessed. And it tugged at his heart that no matter how hard he would try, Emma would never go for a man who could not even afford to buy a tenth of their house.

He almost made a remark about how he'd be more than willing to carry Emma to bed, if that's what she wanted. But David already looked at him as though he was ready to demand his head on a stick. So Killian settled for gently awakening the goddess sleeping in his arms.

Once she was somewhat awake she leaned forward to give both Mary Margaret and David a kiss on their cheek, and hesitating a moment before settling for a squeeze of Killian's hand.

"Goodnight, love," He smiled at her as she exited the car.

"Night," She mumbled tiredly before closing the door.

"On a scale of one to ten," Killian started, "If I got out of the car and started running, what's the likelihood of you running me over with your car?"

"Eleven," David deadpanned.

"I think I'll take my chances," Killian muttered, moving to open his door but Mary Margaret stopped him by scolding David.

"We're just looking out for our friend," Mary Margaret explained, leaning back to look at him.

"I'm also your friend," Killian muttered.

"You're not the one who's going to end up hurt if you keep this up," David said sternly as he started his car.

"I've no intention of hurting her."

"Maybe not intentionally, but you have been known to be kind of a flirt," Mary Margaret offered with that signature kindness of her. Killian couldn't even be mad at her, she could kindly insult him in the worst ways possible and he'd still agree with everything she said.

"I don't know if you've noticed but I haven't flirted with anyone since I met her," Killian shrugged.

"Yeah," David nodded. "And I would like to notice you not flirting with her either."

* * *

"Emma!" Killian yelled from across the street. She looked up briefly, but upon noticing him she kept her head down and continued walking.

A car honked angrily when he crossed the roads just before it, and Emma walked straight past him as he stood in front of her.

"What? Are we back to ignoring me now?" Killian asked, grabbing her hand to stop her from continuously walking away from her. The tug at her arm made her turn around and face him. "Is it because I'm poor that I'm not good enough for ya?"

She frowned up at him, the accusation clearly affecting her. "What? No? Shit Killian, you think I don't know I lucked out when they adopted me? You think I don't know I could've ended up a hell of a lot worse than with them?"

"Adopted?" Now it was his time to frown.

"Yeah," Emma started, looking at him as though she expected him to know this information already. But instead of shutting him out, she continued quietly. "My parents left me at the side of a road when I was a babe. I was lucky enough to be adopted. And even luckier to be adopted by the Swans. I'd have been in jail if it weren't for them."

Killian arched an eyebrow. Again Emma frowned. Clearly she hadn't expected herself to share this much information. But once again, she continued. "A year or two ago I had a boyfriend, who left me to take the fall for his crime. My parents lawyered up and I got no punishment whatsoever. Well, no legal punishment that is." Emma sighed and threw up her hands. "I got lucky then, too. But can't you see? I'm protecting myself."

"From what?" Killian asked.

"From you!" She yelled in frustration, hitting his chest with her fists.

Killian shook his head angrily–or perhaps more disappointedly. "You don't know me at all if you think I'd leave you behind like that."

She crossed her arms in front of her, suddenly shameful. Emma averted her eyes to the ground as she kicked a pebble onto the street. "You definitely seem like the type to attract trouble," She whispered.

"Trouble, yeah," He almost chuckled had he not still felt that disappointment. "Felonies, no."

For a moment they stood in silence, Emma with her arms crossed, stubbornly refusing to look at him. Killian staring at her in hopes that she's finally hearing what he's saying.

"Is he bothering you, Miss?" Robin joined them, laying a nonchalant arm around Killian.

"No," Emma sighed, finally looking up. Her features filled with contemplation. "Excuse me."

"Damn it, Killian, I really thought you'd learned your lesson by now," Robin spoke up once Emma was out of earshot, his arm still around Killian.

"I didn't know she was adopted," Killian said instead, pushing Robin off him as they started walking towards the docks.

"It's not exactly a topic of conversation? What did you expect? Hi, my name is Emma, I'm adopted?"

"Well, none of you told me either."

"No really, what did you expect? Her name is Emma, she's adopted?"

Killian only rolled his eyes, continuing the walk to work in silence.

* * *

After having worked late at the docks, Killian was the last one to arrive at the beach. The sun had already started its descent into the ocean, their group of friends, joined by the sisters Anna and Elsa, as well as Anna's boyfriend Kristoff, whom he had first met last Christmas. They always came for one weekend only, but joined them and talked with them as though they hadn't done anything else all year.

Killian dropped the cooler with beer that he was carrying in the sand by the other snacks and drinks the others had brought, picked one out, and took a spot next to Elsa. Against the odds, they had found themselves quick friends, a shared interest in not speaking unless they had to had left them both sitting to the side whilst the others had a heated debate over something he couldn't remember. Likely about the movie they'd gone to see. They'd shared a glance, a roll of the eyes, and a bottle of beer. And since then, Elsa and he had this unspoken confirmation of friendship.

"Hey stranger," She smiled, leaning into his arm when he didn't say anything. "How've you been?"

"Busy as always," Killian answered, twisting the cap off a beer bottle and taking a deep swig. "And yourself?"

"Counting down the days until I got to see your handsome face again," Elsa grinned, poking his arm with her elbow. Even though she was undeniably beautiful, any feelings he had towards Elsa were of the platonic sort only–and judging by the way she treated him more like a brother than anything else, those feelings were mutual.

Killian laughed and shook his head, his eye landing on Emma seated on the other side of the fire, next to Ruby. She gave him some sort of lopsided smile, and he gave her a half-assed one in return, turning his attention back to Elsa. "Yeah, I missed you too," He joked.

And that was all conversation they had, they sat in silence watching and listening as the others talked animatedly, sharing campfire stories and told jokes.

After the sun had completely set, Robin started telling stories of the spooky sort. Watching Kristoff and Anna, as well as David and Mary Margaret, sit closer together, wrapped in blankets, and seeing Emma sit across from him tugged at his heart. If he'd simply been a proper gentleman to her from the start, perhaps he could've sat next to her now, under the guise of friendship.

But instead Emma sat alone, and Killian couldn't keep his eyes off her, looking away each time she looked at him.

Elsa leant closer to him, keeping her voice a low, teasing whisper. "You like her, huh?"

Killian chuckled, reaching to scratch behind his hear. "They told you about that?"

"About what?"

"That I made a proper fool out of myself the first time I met her?"

Elsa frowned and shook her head. "No one had to tell me, it is _quite_ obvious you like her. Let's go for a walk?" Killian rose from his spot in the sand, brushing the sand off his trousers. David paused his story briefly, but Killian shook his head, motioning for him to continue. David shrugged once and picked up the story once more. "So what happened?" Elsa questioned once out of earshot of the group.

"It took about fifteen minutes for me to fall completely and utterly in love with her," Killian confessed with a sad chuckle. Elsa only nodded, waiting for him to continue as she grabbed his arm and they walked through the sand. "Being one of them proper girls, clearly the tactics I usually used didn't work. And I'm fairly certain she ended up hating me after that night."

Elsa laughed softly. "I did not think it possible to hate you. So, she didn't respond well to your flirting?"

"No, I think she actively avoided me after that. Whenever we'd meet up, Emma always had other commitments." Killian sighed, rubbing his free hand over his face. "Then we went to the movies and she was surprised to see me there. Ruby even said Emma would have rather left if she had the choice…" Again Elsa nodded, allowing him to continue explaining the things he'd messed up. "She went as far as to sit all the way on the other side, but I kind of followed her there –"

"Killian," Elsa said in a disapproving-mother-tone.

"I know… It wasn't all bad. She held my hand," He spoke with a grin, turning their walk around before they strayed too far from the campfire. "I guess I stopped actively pursuing her, and just try to be her friend, after she told me that she was afraid of getting her heart broken by me. Something Mary Margaret had already mentioned before. But it's difficult to be her friend when I want to kiss her every time I see her. And it's difficult not seeing her when we have the same friends."

"You're a good guy, Killian," Elsa said and squeezed his arm. "You're a bit of a flirt, but you're not a bad guy. And maybe, when you give her the time to get to know you, she might end up falling for you as well. But have you considered that she's only here two months out of twelve, and when she leaves at the end of summer, you won't see her for nearly a year? Would you really put yourself through that heartbreak?"

Killian looked over at the campfire where Emma suddenly rose from her seat. For a moment, he worried she was leaving without at least giving somewhat of a goodbye. But she walked to the edge of the water instead, stepping out into the sea and letting the waves wash over her feet.

"Yes," Killian answered then. It wasn't the most sensible answer, he knew. But he also knew he would suffer a thousand heartbreaks if she asked.

"Then start by being her friend," Elsa nodded at Emma once they reached the campfire again.

Nervously, Killian tucked his hands into his pocket, gathering his courage as he walked towards Emma. He stopped just before the waves to take his shoes off, rolling up his trousers before stepping out in the waves and standing still beside her.

He didn't look at her, but from the corner of his eye he could see her quickly wipe away her tears.

The full moon danced on the waves of the ocean, looking almost magical. Behind him he could hear the distant laughter of his friends, but it was often overshadowed by the calming sound of the waves lapping at his feet.

"You all right?" He asked quietly, breaking the unbearable silence.

"Yeah," Emma answered, her voice still thick in her throat, she cleared it before continuing to speak. "I'm okay, I'll be right there."

He dug his hands into his pockets once more, searching for his handkerchief and handed it to her. She looked at him with a scrunched nose.

"It's clean," He assured her when she didn't take it.

"Thanks," She sniffed. Her hands brushed over his as she took the handkerchief from him. He gave her a small smile before moving to walk away from her. "Can you–" She started almost panicky. A heavy sigh escaped her. "Can you stay?"

He nodded, standing beside her once more. "Of course."

They stood like that for a moment before she reached for his hand. The firm expression on her face gave him the idea that if he were to ask her about it, she would deny holding his hand, even if that was exactly what she was doing.

But he didn't speak, nor did she.

After a while, when he noticed her shiver for the third time, he wordlessly suggested going back to shore. Kristoff was in the middle of a story when they reached the campfire and sat down beside each other.

"Killian, will you sing for us?" Anna asked once the story was over. He'd suspected she would ask him something like that when he'd spotted the guitar. Last Christmas, after Anna had heard Killian sing for the first time, she'd asked him to sing for them over and over again, until Elsa finally saved him and told Anna it would be best to let his voice rest for a while.

This time he wouldn't let himself get talked into singing nonstop for two hours though, four songs at most, but when Anna suggested a love song as his first song, he couldn't help but think of Emma as he sang. And with her sitting next to him, his eyes found hers more than once, until they locked and didn't let go until after the song.

When he finished, a small smile appeared on her lips, just as a blush coloured her cheeks.

He dedicated a silly song to her as well, just for good measure. And whilst he definitely enjoyed making her blush, making her laugh was his most favourite pastime of all.

He ended up singing six songs, until he finally managed to say no when Anna asked for one more song, unlike the previous two times.

They sat by the fire for a while after that, until everyone was too tired to care for Graham Cracker Sandwiches and scary campfire stories.

"Are you good to drive, Killian?" Mary Margret asked quietly, stepping before him to brush his hair from his forehead. She may be four years younger than he was, but she'd always mothered him, and had seemingly no intention to stop any time soon.

"I'm fine, I had only two beers, and drank mostly water after that," Killian promised.

"All right, well David is racking his brain trying to find a way to drive everyone home that doesn't include Emma being in your car. But he won't accept it would be a lot easier if we drove Kristoff, Anna and Elsa home and you drove Emma and Ruby home. Think you can handle it?"

"I can handle it," Killian laughed, shaking his head lightly.

"Good," Mary Margaret said, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek. "See you soon, all right?"

"See you soon, love."

He watched her step away from him, have a small argument with David, that resulted in him having to concede, and then wave at him again before getting in David's car.

"Looks like we're with you," Ruby said excitedly. "Oh, can I sit in the back?"

"Absolutely not," Emma said at the same time as Killian said "No."

"Whatever, mom and dad," Ruby threw up her hands like some grounded child and got in the truck. He drove Ruby home first, as per her request, thinking she wasn't going to make it without vomiting if she had to sit too long in the car.

She crawled out of the truck, over Emma's lap, once Killian pulled up on Ruby's grandmother's driveway, and waved at them before entering the house.

"I didn't know you could sing," Emma stated once he'd started the engine again.

"Lass, there's a lot of things we don't know about each other," Killian chuckled. "For example, I didn't know you liked painting."

"How would you know that?"

"There's a smudge of yellow paint in your neck," Killian grinned. Suddenly she moved from her seat, tugging the rear view mirror in her direction to find the paint smear. "It's hidden by your braid, so don't worry."

"Why didn't anyone say anything?"

"Probably because no one noticed!" He laughed, taking his eyes off the road long enough to see her vigorously rubbing at her neck.

" _You_ noticed!" She yelled at him. "Why didn't you say anything? Friends tell each other these sort of things."

"Oh?" Killian grinned. "I didn't realise we were friends. When did that happen?"

"It just did," Emma said, steadfast. "Not realising we were friends is not an excuse though, why didn't you tell me?"

"How was I supposed to say 'hey there's paint on your neck' without you realising I'd been staring at you all night."

Emma laughed loudly at that, and even though she was properly mocking him, it was still his favourite sound in the world. "I knew you were staring at me all night without you having to say something."

"Good. Then I should probably also say I was staring because you looked really beautiful, not because you had paint on your neck."

She remained silent at that. When he looked at her she was staring out of the window, hiding the blush on her cheeks. Her neck had been rubbed red, but the paint had been removed.

"Which way now?" Killian asked quietly, stopping at a crossroads.

"I thought you knew where I lived?"

"I know the general direction, but forgive me for being a little distracted." He leaned his forearms on the steering wheel, staring at the light going from orange to red.

"Killian…"

"I know," He interrupted her. He didn't want to hear her say it. He didn't want to hear again how he'd made such a bad impression that she thought he would leave her behind heartbroken. He could say she was wrong a hundred times, but he considered proving his worth to her would be better. Even if it took all summer to convince her he might be an ill-mannered jackass, but he wasn't a bad guy. "You don't have to say it. Which way?" He asked again as the lights turned green.

"Left."

* * *

They sat at a picnic table by the lake, the ice cream cart had just supplied them with ice cream, only barely having stopped after the six of them came running and yelling for them to stop. The man had argued he only did his rounds in the town, but after selling six more ice creams he was quite contented to have stopped.

Killian was the first to finish his ice cream, never having had much patience for sitting quietly and enjoying it. What he _did_ enjoy was watching Emma eat her ice cream. Not that he was exactly subtle about it, but Emma was very aware that she had his complete and undivided attention. But of course she pretended to be paying attention to the conversation on her right.

Suddenly Emma pulled a face as she–quite seductively, damn his mind–licked the ice cream.

"What?" He asked her, way too fast. If he hadn't been absolutely certain she knew he was watching, she definitely knew now. Certainly with him being the only one to see it.

"It smells weird. It's delicious, it just smells weird," Emma answered and held it out for him.

He leaned over the table, and looking back, he should have known. He really should have. But he trusted the beautiful siren enough to be, far too easily, lured right into her trap, eyes wide open–and locked with hers.

Still, when he stared at her, his face covered in strawberry ice cream, he could not feel anger. How could he? When her laugh, her free spirited, genuine laughter, was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.

Soon enough, their entire table erupted in laughter, all looking at him and his ice cream covered face.

Killian nodded twice, wiping his face with his hand, and then–fast enough for her not to realise he would demand payback–reached across the table and smeared the ice cream on her cheek.

More laughter came from the table whilst Emma glared at him, a thing he should have been familiar with by now, but the sparkle in her eyes was different, the laughter she was trying to hold back was different.

And then she started laughing again and he couldn't help but adoringly gaze at her, feeling himself falling more and more in love with her. Even with ice cream on her face, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid his eyes upon.

As the laughter died down, both of them made their way to the lake, kneeling down to wash their faces. The water was cold, but on this warm day it was quite refreshing.

"I am sorry I got ice cream on your shirt," Emma whispered, biting her lip as she watched him make an attempt at removing the stain from his shirt.

"Don't worry about it," Killian smiled. Let's be real, she could have spilled wine and tomato sauce on his favourite shirt and he'd thank her for it. "I'm simply glad I didn't get ice cream on your dress, I don't think you'd have forgiven me too easily for that."

Emma brushed her hair over her shoulder from where she'd pulled it all over one shoulder and revealed a sticky stain. "It's not the worst thing," She spoke before he could make apologies. "I can forgive you for this."

"When did I get so lucky?" He said with a small smile.

Emma smiled in return, reaching out to rub her thumb over his cheek. "You eh– you missed a bit," She explained herself upon realising what she was doing, quickly pulling her hand away again.

"Thanks," He nodded, getting back up his feet and offering his hand to help her up as well.

She only released his hand once they'd reached the table again and sat down.

"Well, I could go for a swim," David announced, getting up and took off his shirt, somewhat aggressively pulling it over his head. Once in his swim shorts, he walked over to the lake, reaching for the rope hanging from the tree to fling himself in the water. Mary Margaret and Ruby quickly following, they shrieked as they entered the water, yelling about how the water was cold. But Killian imagined it was a welcome cool down from the hot weather.

Once Robin had jumped into the lake as well, Killian still sat with Emma at the table. Suddenly self-conscious about undressing himself in front of Emma. The hard work at the docks made his body quite toned, but it had also left him covered in scars, and he didn't want to scare her off, not now that he was beginning to think there might be a chance she had changed her mind about him.

Emma didn't move to get in the water either, sitting quietly at the table with her hands outstretched towards him. She looked innocent enough, the sun shining through the leaves and casting rays upon her porcelain skin, her eyes closed as she tilted her head towards the sun.

He wondered how she'd react if he took her hand in his, or traced his fingertips along her outstretched arms. He wondered if she knew how downright kissable she looked right now. All he'd have to do was lean over the table.

"Killian! Emma! Come join us, the water is amazing!" Ruby called out for them. The two of them looked at Ruby and then at each other, silently questioning whether the other intended to go in the water or not.

Killian was the first to rise from his seat, taking his shirt off without trying to think too much about what Emma might think. After he'd taken his shirt off, Emma suddenly stood in front of him, her hair lifted away from her neck.

Killian reasoned she was more than able to take off her necklace on her own, but she definitely had ulterior motives, and she was definitely driving him completely and utterly mad.

He tried his best not to watch her as she rid herself of her purple dress, lest she gave him yet another reason to not dare undress himself.

After laying his clothes on the table, he made his way over to the rope. With everyone else splashing each other and shrieking loudly, they had not noticed Emma and Killian getting ready to join them. Emma stood in her two piece red swimsuit with the rope in her hands, readying herself to take the leap.

"Time to jump, princess," Killian chuckled, patiently crossing his arms and raising a challenging eyebrow.

"I can do it," Emma protested, grabbing the rope more firmly between her hands. Her knuckles nearly whitened as she did.

"Go on then," He said and nodded at the water.

"You first." Suddenly she thrust the rope at him.

Killian grinned, easily lifting her off her feet. Her screams immediately getting the attention from everyone–David of course being the only one to disapprove, though even he sported something resembling a grin.

Emma continued her screams, hitting her fists against his back in order to make him release her. It was nothing he couldn't handle, he'd felt worse.

He grabbed the rope, hoping he'd be able to swing both of them in the water without hurting her in any way. One swing would be enough, he reckoned he could make it.

And he did, Emma clung strongly to his neck, her screaming ceasing as soon as he released the rope.

The water was almost excruciatingly cold upon collision, but after having worked in the sun the entire day, it was a welcome relief.

"Are you all right?" He asked Emma as they made it to the surface. She had released him as soon as they fell into the water, having made it to the top a bit faster than him.

She smiled sweetly–too sweetly–and made her way over to him. "I'm fine," She spoke, then leaned on his shoulders to push him underwater again. When he came back up he was splashed, at first he guessed it was only Emma, but when the water came from behind as well, he realised she'd found accomplices.

After everyone was quite finished with their attempt of making him drown, they played some games, where the ladies sat atop the men's shoulders and tried to push each other off. Unfortunately David had claimed Emma before she could make it to Killian. But Mary Margaret promised Killian to try her very best to win.

And they did, much to David's dismay.

When he proposed a switch in teams after two games, Emma was sent to Robin, and Killian only barely didn't roll his eyes. Ruby had high-fived Killian before climbing on his shoulder, saying something about how the other two were going down. He quite liked Ruby, she was as competitive as he was, and in no time the other two were in the water.

After a game or four, David still had not proposed another switch, even if he'd lost three out of the four games.

"Time for a switch!" Robin called out in David's stead, tossing Emma off his shoulders abruptly, her shriek was quickly stopped once she fell in the water. Killian was still laughing when she came back above the surface. Ruby made it off his own shoulders a little less abrupt, and swam back to Robin.

Emma had made her way to Killian, leaning on his shoulder as she coughed again. "You all right, love?" He asked quietly, looking at her. Water clung to her long eyelashes, her pale cheeks and slightly purple lips betrayed she was perhaps just a bit too cold in the water.

"Yeah," She smiled. "Go down."

 _Don't have to ask me twice_. He only nodded.

Having her on his shoulders was so very different from having Mary Margaret or Ruby on his shoulders. He was conscious of where he held her legs, he was conscious of every spot they were touching. She leaned over him just a bit, brushing his wet hair from his eyes. When he looked up at her with a grateful smile, he saw the sun shine from up above her and more than ever she looked like his own personal angel. She smiled back at him, her hands still going through his hair.

Their moment was easily ruined when a splash of water made contact with his face. David gave him a shit-eating grin, but clearly didn't expect Killian to retaliate.

After they played the same game for a few more rounds, Killian and Emma winning most of them, they decided to call it quits.

"No one is going to beat us anyway," Killian chuckled before making his way out of the water to sit back at the table. As Killian went to fetch the towels from his truck, Robin and David decided to hold a _most impressive swing from the rope_ contest, something Killian clearly would've won–had he still been in the water–with Ruby and Mary Margaret being the judges. Emma, with her pale cheeks and purple lips came to sit with him at the table, sitting next to him instead of across from him this time. She grabbed one of the larger towels from the stack and practically buried herself inside it.

With his back warmed up by the sun directly on it, suddenly feeling her cold fingers on his skin made him flinch.

"Sorry," Emma whispered, but didn't remove her hand. Her touch sent shivers up his spine and arms. "How did you get these?" Her curious voice was quiet, almost sad.

"Work," He answered simply.

"But they're so old…"

"Not all of us have the luxury to go to school until they're eighteen. When your father abandons you and it's just you and your brother, you've got to help wherever you can."

"I didn't know you have a brother."

"Had," He corrected her. "He passed away two years ago. He always wanted to come here, not a clue why, but I used all the money we'd saved, and came here, hoping I could get a fresh start."

"I'm sorry," She spoke quietly.

"Yeah," Killian mumbled. "Me too."

Emma laid her head against his shoulder blade, her cold, wet hair falling over his back. But he didn't mind. For once it felt nice to not feel so goddamn alone all the time.

* * *

Belle laughed loudly–maybe too loudly–at a joke he told. When he first moved here he hadn't quite made the impression he wanted to make with his new neighbours. And whilst the husband still resented him for it, the wife had become a dear friend.

She accompanied him to most parties, not necessarily as his date, but sometimes more an excuse to get out of the house. She was only a few years his senior, but her husband was quite a few years _her_ senior. So whilst Belle still enjoyed the parties and gatherings, her husband would prefer not to mingle, let alone dance.

Mostly Belle sat with him until he found a girl to dance with–and she was perfectly fine with that, for when Killian left her that was usually when men gathered up the courage to ask her for a dance.

"What's the matter, Emma? You sad you're not his darling anymore?" Killian heard Robin's voice a few seats down the table.

"I simply didn't think he would give up this easily," Emma admitted.

"Darling," Robin said, his voice slightly slurred. "He's been chasing you for four weeks. You've made it abundantly clear you're not interested. It's not a matter of giving up. It's a matter of knowing when to fold and save at least some of yer dignity." Emma remained silent at that. "That's not to say it would be too late to ask him for a dance, if you really wanted to. Though I'd be quick about it. I believe the lovely lass he's sitting with right now is more than willing to go home with him if he asked. And I think you'll both regret that it's her and not you."

Killian nearly choked on his drink whilst Belle eyed him with arched eyebrows, Robin knew well enough Belle was married.

The chair that loudly scraped over the wooden flooring caught Killian's attention. And suddenly he realised why Robin had said the things he said. A very determined Emma suddenly marched his way, but all her bravado died when she stood in front of him.

"Would you like to dance?" She asked almost embarrassingly quiet.

"I would," He answered, taking Belle's hands within his and kissed her knuckles. "Enjoy your night, Milady."

The dance wasn't of the romantic sort, yet Killian relished in every shared touch, and Emma kept lying to herself that his heated gaze did not affect her.

When the following song was one of the romantic sort, she remained by his side and allowed herself to be swept into his arms as he gently guided her closer to him. Her hands were soft against his warm and calloused ones, another sign of the obvious gap between them. Her dress was probably worth five times as much as his entire outfit combined, the pin in her hair costing more coin than he'd ever make in a lifetime. But she chose him. She chose to dance with him.

"David's staring," Emma whispered, pressing herself a little closer against Killian and he completely relished in that fact. "Glaring, actually."

"Yeah..." Killian answered with a nod. "He is somehow under the impression that I will ruin you."

"Oh, but you will," Emma said then, looking up at him. Killian could not help but feel a little hurt at that. "But I'm fairly certain I'm okay with that."

"Emma, I would never do anything to knowingly hurt you. I might be a proper idiot and do something stupid, but I promise I would never willingly hurt you."

"I know," Emma smiled. "I know," She said again, a little quieter that time, and laid her head against his chest.

They danced for the longest time, going through almost every sort of dance until they were the only ones of their little group of friends left. Over the course of the night they'd all come to say goodbye, Emma and Killian had briefly stopped dancing to say a proper goodbye and then simply continued dancing.

The Emma he danced with right now was a far cry from the one he'd first met a month ago. She laughed, joked, she was free and beautiful. And after spending most of his days with her he knew he had properly fallen in love with her. He'd never seen it coming. He'd been infatuated with girls before, hell, he didn't even need to like a girl to bring her home. But with Emma it had been so different. After he'd gotten his head out of his ass and realised she wasn't just a prize to be won, he got to know her. Even if she hadn't always been willing to spend time with her.

He'd never fallen in love with a girl so quickly, quite frankly it was a bit embarrassing.

Just as he was beginning to accept that summer would only last one more month and then he wouldn't see her again until the next year, giving him more than enough time to get over her, she had come to him instead.

"May I walk you home?" He asked quietly, laying his jacket over her bare shoulders upon noticing her shiver.

She snuggled herself into the warmth of it, tugging it a little tighter around herself. "I'm almost inclined to say yes because I'm afraid you will take away the jacket if I say no."

"I understand I may have made a perfectly ill-mannered impression, but I promise you, I can be a perfect gentleman. You can return my jacket in the morning. Goodnight, Emma," He said and bid her goodnight with a nod of his head.

"Killian," Emma reached for his hand before he could walk away from her. "Walk me home? Please?"

He smiled widely, attempting to ignore the firm beating of his heart in his chest. "I'd be honoured."

His fingers laced with hers as they started their walk mostly in silence, until the music of the party faded from hearing, and its lights far behind them.

The full moon stood high above them, illuminating their path.

"That first night," Emma started softly, gripping his hand a bit firmer. "Mary Margaret spent the entire ride home defending you, and David pretty much countered every single thing she said with at least two things you would do wrong if given the chance. And all I could think about was how you had gone on and won a bear anyway, even though I said I didn't want one–and then gave it to a little girl instead."

Killian laughed softly, kicking a pebble. It ticked loudly against the pavement, the silence of the road enhancing the sound.

"I know I most certainly hadn't made the best first impression. And Robin is never going to let me live it down, I swear."

"He'd be a poor friend if he did," She teased.

"Yeah," Killian chuckled. "I suppose so.

She hadn't released his hand all the way home, so when she did release it once they arrived at her summerhouse, his hand felt cold and he almost asked her to walk around a little more just to feel her hand in his a little longer.

But he didn't.

With gentle care she took his jacket off her shoulders and handed it back to him.

"Thank you for walking me home," She smiled. "Goodnight, Killian."

"Goodnight, Emma," He spoke, his own smile wide on his lips, and moved to turn away from her.

"Aren't you going to kiss me?" She wondered cheekily, her voice a little louder this time.

He chuckled and shook his head a little unbelievingly. "Love, had I been under the impression that you wanted to be kissed by me, I would not have stopped my attempt at gaining your favour."

"I do want you to kiss me," Emma said, stubbornly unmoving from her spot. If he was going to kiss her, he would have to come to her. Not the other way around.

"What changed, Emma? Because a week ago you were still practically laughing in my face in front of your friends."

"You only talked with that girl to get me jealous!" She countered.

"What girl? Belle? Darling, she's married, and practically my big sister."

Emma crossed her arms, to protect herself from the cold or to keep her hands from shaking, he wasn't entirely certain. "How am I supposed to know that. Robin said–doesn't matter, to me it looked like you were trying to make me jealous."

"Bloody hell, woman. Not everything is about you!"

"I never said it was, you just made it very apparent that you wanted me in your bed, and then suddenly you dance and talk with another–very beautiful, might I add–woman, what was I supposed to think?"

"Truthfully? I've been trying to gain your affection for four weeks now, give or take. By then I was fairly certain you didn't give two shits about me, so what you were supposed to think was quite possibly the furthest thing on my mind earlier."

Emma nodded once, letting a silence fall before sighing. "Do you still want me in your bed?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Fuck if I know, Emma," Killian answered, shrugging as she remained silent, giving him a pointed look. "Yeah, I guess so. But I'm quite done wasting my free days chasing a woman who doesn't want to be chased."

"Just one more chase," Emma said, turning on her heels and walking away from him. "My parents are out of town until tomorrow night."

He frowned, nearly tilted his head like a confused puppy. Surely she didn't mean– he watched her enter the giant summerhouse, leaving the door open behind her as she disappeared from view.

_Bloody. Hell._

He followed behind her, entering through the grand door. She didn't look behind her, she didn't stop walking, not even when the door fell closed behind him. She simply ascended the stairs, so confident he would follow her. He could easily catch up with her, if he took two steps at the time, but his legs buckled so hard he was afraid he would trip. Even taking one stair at the time was becoming quite the struggle.

He didn't have much time to look around her room; save for the large canopy bed he didn't quite notice anything before she had him pinned against the door.

And before he well realised it, her lips were on his.

It took him a moment before his mind caught up with his body, and returned her kiss.

* * *

He certainly felt as though he had died and gone to heaven when he woke to her lithe body pressed up against hers. Her naked body felt cool against his, her back pressing softly into his chest as she slowly woke up. Suddenly she stilled, remaining unmoving for a long moment before quietly breathing out.

"Good morning," She whispered.

"Good morning," Killian spoke, realising she did not expect him to still be in her bed. "Was I supposed to leave?"

"No," She answered, turning around so that she could face him. Her fingers traced over his chest as they had done many times last night. "No, I'm glad you stayed."

"Emma?!" A voice sounded, a brief knock on the door was followed by the opening of the door. "Are you staying in bed– oh." Her mother stared at him for a brief moment, uncertain of what to say. She stood unmoving by the doorframe, her hand still on the handle.

"Hi," Killian said sheepishly, scratching behind his ear. Emma had turned beet red and hid her face behind Killian, refusing to look at her mother.

"Hi," She repeated calmly. "Will you be joining us for brunch?" Killian had almost laughed in her face. Never had he had brunch before, it seemed a ridiculous concept to him, invented by rich people who had the time for such affairs.

But instead he shook his head instead. "No, thank you. I'll best be on my way."

"Oh… All right," Her mother said, closing the door without saying another word.

Emma, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet laid her head back down on the pillow, burying her face in her hands and groaning.

"I thought you said they wouldn't return until tonight," Killian grinned, tracing his fingers from her chin, between her breasts, down to her belly button where he placed a kiss just above it.

"They must've come home early," Emma offered, still incredibly displeased, but a bit distracted by his kisses. "Killian," She whimpered when his hand disappeared underneath the blanket, stopping him when his kisses reached her hipbone. "I can't right now, not with my parents downstairs."

He nodded with an understanding smile as he rolled away from her, reaching down to the floor where their discarded clothes lay.

"Please don't go," Emma reached for his arm, dragging him back into the bed.

"I'm not about to meet your parents, love," He laughed as he brushed his hand through her tangled hair. She leaned above him, keeping him from leaving again, her messy hair falling over her shoulders. If he hadn't been certain before, he knew for sure now that there wasn't a time of the day in which Emma Swan didn't look absolutely gorgeous. When she looked at him with that pout of hers, she almost had him convinced. But he wasn't really the type of guy girls introduced to their parents. In fact he had been more of a _I'll make sure to be gone by morning_ kind of type. But of course it had been different with Emma. Before he fell asleep with her in his arms, he knew he wanted to wake up with her in his arms. So that's what he did. "I'm sure your mother has already seen more of me than she wanted. I will see you tonight," He spoke before she could.

* * *

He watched her walk across the street, a smile tugging at her lips when she noticed him. She looked absolutely stunning in her red dress. Her hair pinned back and falling over her shoulders in long curls. He extended his arm towards her once she was close enough. "Hey beautiful."

"Hi," She whispered, easily moulding into his side. For a moment she looked only at him, but by the blush spreading across her cheeks, he was under the impression she was more avoiding the looks of the others than anything else.

"Right…" David spoke, clearing his throat. "Shall we go in?"

The door opened, and the loud music coming from inside filled their ears. Killian held on to Emma's hand for a moment as everyone else entered. She gave him a confused frown, but waited with him until the door closed again.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I guess we haven't really spoken about what happened last night, and I wondered where this left us. Are you all right with me seeking your affection, or was it a one-time thing?" Emma smiled, standing tiptoe and pressing a kiss against his lips. Her sweet perfume filled his nostrils, and her kiss was like a drug he couldn't, or didn't want to, get enough of. Momentarily forgotten he'd asked her a question in the first place, he returned her kiss.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, pushing her body into his even further. "Did you _want_ it to be a one-time thing?" She murmured against his lips.

He laughed softly, his fingers slightly digging into her waist as though he worried she would slip through his fingers if he didn't hold on tight. "I did not need your kiss to convince me that I most certainly did _not_ want this to be a one-time thing. But I can't say I'm complaining."

"Good," Emma smiled, kissing him once more. "Then please, kiss me any time you want."

"I'm afraid we wouldn't make it into this bar if I did." Killian laughed.

"I will be right back," She said as she released him. Emma disappeared inside, coming back not too long after. "Want to go for a walk instead?"

"Yeah," He smiled as he took her hand in his. "Gladly."

They walked around for a while, sometimes they walked in silence, sometimes they talked. He found he didn't mind talking about his brother so much with Emma. He definitely enjoyed walking a lot more with her by his side. He suddenly had an answer to his favourite colour, green, definitely green. And for some odd reason, he didn't think couples holding hands were sappy anymore.

He drove her home after their walk, though he parked his truck on an empty field where they watched the stars underneath a blanket. Well… Mostly they kissed underneath the stars. Killian had never truly understood why people insisted on the difference between sex and making love, until that night. Lazily, on top of three blankets, sharing kisses and tender words. He absolutely loved it.

Summer passed a lot quicker after that. They spent all their free time together, she came to him after work, kissing him in front of all his colleagues. Once David understood Killian truly didn't have any bad intentions with her, he'd even suggested a double date. Nothing changed in their little group of friends. Nothing but the fact that when he flirted with her now, and made a fool of himself, she didn't mind.

* * *

Even if he'd spent all morning saying goodbye to her–among other things, packing her bags definitely took a lot longer than she had expected–it was still difficult truly saying goodbye now. She hugged her friends, promising to write soon, saying how she already looked forward to next summer.

It hurt him more than he anticipated. He never expected a silly crush to turn into this, and even though he'd told Elsa he was all right with the heartbreak of having to watch her leave at the end of the summer, he clearly wasn't.

His heart felt heavy, weighing down on his empty stomach. His throat was squeezed shut, and by the time she stood before him with tears threatening to spill from her beautiful eyes, he found it tough to not let his own tears fall over his cheeks.

But he kept strong for her–and also because he didn't necessarily want to cry in front of his friends. He adored the little smile she gave him when he reached out to wipe her tears from her cheeks with his thumb.

"Hey beautiful," He smiled.

"Hi," She whispered, sniffling a little. Her hands smoothed out the fabric of his shirt and rested above his heart. "I don't know why it's this hard to say goodbye, I do this every year." Emma got a little angry at that, and truthfully, he couldn't help but think of her as even more adorable than before. "Well, I do know but–" She sighed, interrupting her own ramblings and stuffed a piece of paper into his pocket. "Write to me?"

"Every day until I see you again," He promised and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"And you'll wait for me?"

"I'll wait a hundred years, if I have to," Killian said. Finally she laughed, through puffy eyes and a runny nose. "But don't make me wait that long."

"I promise," She spoke, standing tiptoe to press her lips against his one last time before getting in the car.

He watched them drive away with a heavy heart, barely registering Robin as he squeezed his shoulder, or David as he gave him a compassionate smile.

He would see her again next summer, when she and Ruby came to visit their little town as they did each year.

And he would count the days until he could see her again.

**Author's Note:**

> Look at me posting something other than LKaOUT for a change. If you are here because you're wondering about that fic, next chapter will be up July 19th.
> 
> Nevertheless, hope you enjoyed this one enough to leave a review or comment.
> 
> Thanks guys ♥♥


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